Recently, GE has been popping up everywhere in the world of 3D printing. As the world’s largest manufacturer of jet engines, GE is using 3D Printing to make the fuel nozzles on its next generation LEAP jet engines.

Earlier this week GE announce that it going one step further in its investment into 3D Printing by launching two global design challenges. The first challenge invites entrepreneurs, companies, designers and institutions to leverage 3D printing in the development of high speed additive manufacturing techniques. The second, and more straightforward challenge, enlists this same global group in an effort to redesign an aircraft engine bracket.

With their already sizable investment into 3D Printing, GE has shown the design community that it’s serious about the technology. According to Michael Idelchik, lead of GE’s advanced technologies division, the company’s next step is to “develop an ecosystem of designers, engineers, materials scientists, and other partners who can learn with us. We have a number of products that we are going to be launching and we want to challenge people to get into business with us. If the ecosystem grows, the entire industry will grow."

The second competition looks to help GE’s mission to making aircraft lighter by redesigning an aircraft engine bracket. “Today's design engineers aren't constrained by conventional manufacturing processes. Additive manufacturing has created the ability to produce items of all shapes and sizes from the ground up, enabling engineers to design increasingly complex products that were previously impossible.” Said GE.

Both competitions are already open. If you’d like to participate head over here for more details.